I've grown to love it. Long story....
Chapter 1 - Decision making
I have been considering a softball pitching machine for 3 years now. I didn't feel I could afford it, but it looked like so much fun for my granddaughters (and me), plus they play it as a sport and I hoped it would help them get better. I checked out other brands. Ones that were REALLY cheap (and inexpensive) to ones much more expensive. I eventually felt the Heater would fit my needs. It said it could do pop-ups, grounders, pitch at various speeds, use real balls or practice ones. What really helped push me to the Heater was the protective design. I really didn't want the wheels out in the open where it would be more easy for one of the kids to get their long hair or hoodies strings accidentally caught in the motor. I didn't see ANY with a safety off switch. This one didn't either, but it seemed safer design-wise than any of the others.
Chapter 2 - The purchase
Last year I decided I could afford a reconditioned one, but by the time I went to buy one, they were sold out. I even looked for a NEW one, and had a hard time getting one. I tried to contact the Manufacturer, but I got no response, so I put the purchase off. As I said, that was last year.
This year (2014) I decided to get it way before the season started. There were reconditioned ones available, but again I had some questions, and AGAIN I tried to contact the manufacturer. And, again no response. And again, they went fast. So I decided to go ahead and buy a NEW one. I ended up getting it through Sold In Milwaukee. THEY were fantastic.
Chapter 3 - Receipt of Item
It was shipped fast and it was interesting that it was shipped directly from Heater Sports. I was excited to open it and test it before I brought it out to use with my granddaughters. I was not all that happy when I did open it. It had issues you wouldn't expect with a NEW item. Here's the main ones, in no particular order;
1. Some of the legs showed they had already been used. Some legs seemed as if they were obviously screwed into the pitching machines body a number of times. Some showed some slight rust on the ends. Others did seem new.
2. The wheel looked used. Brown spots all over it, as if it had some dirty balls already passed through it.
3. Any speed over 7 made a large whine. Seems the wheel not only looked used, but wasn't balanced.
4. The documents and images showed a carrying handle, but it had none in the package.
5. Weak Screws and washers - The washers break if you need to take the cover off to fix, fill, or replace the wheel.
Chapter 4 - Solutions to issues.
I was really mad. I did look into shipping the whole thing back. After all, a 30 day guarantee is promoted everywhere. But if you read the fine print, you have to pay for the shipping. BOTH WAYS!!! It would have cost me about $60.00 to ship it back, and I would have been refunded the amount I paid, minus ANOTHER $60.00. SO, be sure you want this. That guarantee is a farce.
I ended up contacting who I bought it from, and they FINALLY got someone at Heater to talk to me. Here's what was resolved.
1. We worked out the problem with the wheel and getting a balanced one. This took care of the speed limitation and the whining as well.
2. I accepted the fact I might have gotten some used legs, or older stock. But decided I didn't buy it to look pretty, just to be functional.
3. They send me a carrying handle, but it didn't fit my model. So, I just carry the disassembled machine in an 18 Gal container now, with room to spare for tools and extra's. (Battery & inverter in 2nd smaller bin).
4. I went to the Local Hardware store and got some real steel lock washers to replace the cheap ones that break when you access the wheel. I replaced them all for safety reasons.
Chapter 5 - Purchasing Needed Accessories.
I knew when I bought this, it was probably only going to be 1/2 the expense to get it set up the way I wanted. Here's what else I ended up buying.
1. Balls - It came with one practice ball, but I had purchased a dozen Jugs No-Sting Balls a few years earlier. I ended up buying another dozen Jugs No-Sting balls. They work awesome with the machine.
2. Battery - I wanted a sealed battery with deep cycling and large Amp-Hours, where the kids were going to be around it, but it was going to be about $300.00. I decided to get a much less expensive 101 AH Marine Deep Cycle Battery for 1/4 the price. Because the battery I got was lead-acid, I put it in an enclosure to keep it as safe as possible.
3. Inverter - I looked on the Heater box, which has some power specs and tried to figure out how to power the heater on the field. I thought about a gas generator, but they were going to be heavy and loud, so I looked into inverters and batteries instead. I ended up buying a 800 Watt Whistler Inverter. I figured it would work because it was twice what the box mentions for a power rating. It did NOT work. When I turned it on, the inverter would kick off as the motor began to spin up. If I turned it on, reset the inverter before the motor stopped spinning, then turned the inverter on again, it would run about 60% of the time. I decided it wasn't good enough.
I sold that one, and decided to try another Whistler because it acted and looked well built. SO, I tried a 1600 Watt Whistler Pro-1600W. YES!!!! It does kick off once in a while, but far less, and once it's on, with the battery, I get HOURS of run-time, and I basically leave it spinning unless I need to move it.
4. Nylon Rope - Read about my WARNINGS below.... Because kids (and Adults) can be dumb, I bought some YELLOW nylon rope to set up a triangle in front of the machine. Like the Bermuda Triangle, I create an area where the kids can't go. In certain instances, the machine WILL pitch if it's left on, even with the ball feeder stopped (See below). 100 Ft.
5. OTHER Stuff;
a. #4 AWG wires about 1 foot long. One Red, One Black. To go from the Inverter to the Battery. (Got these on the eee bay.
b. Plastic Stakes - To hold the yellow nylon rope down in the triangle. Cheap at Wally's
c. Battery Charger - I got the Stanley BC6809 on Amazon. Great, but hate it doesn't have and ON/OFF Switch. I use a timer.
d. Battery box
e. Bats - A few Bats of various weights/sizes
f. Helmets.
g. A Carrying Bag - Northstar 1050 HD 21x36 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TKBY02/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
h. 18 Gallon Plastic bin - Fits machine, legs, other crapola.
i. Small bin - For battery and inverter. (Will eventually create and easier-to-move enclosure with air access)
Chapter 6 - Using it - The Fun Begins....
With all the problems. All the design. The trials and errors, we finally got it out to use it.
All I can say is it is AWESOME!!!! It was worth it. Even with the problems I went though, I feel this thing is simple and made to last. It might need a little maintenance, but with everything, it's a great working set-up and it's great fun each time. Great with the no-sting balls too. Beats spending money at cheap batting cages with lousy bats and water-logged balls that hurt like heck.
I Recently offered it to my grand daughters softball team and they said OK, but only for 1st 1/2 hour. After the 1/2 hour, they asked if we could keep using it for the rest of the practice :). I got asked a lot about it while we were out there too....
WARNINGS
WATCH OUT FOR STRAY PITCHES - With so many things going on, there are possibilities of making mistakes. Here's some suggestions;
1. Explain the rules BEFORE you even turn it on.
2. No one with LONG hair or Clothing with Strings should even get near the machine. Be Smart because there is NO EMERGENCY STOP.
3. Make a Bermuda Triangle with bright, nylon rope. Kids and adults don't always listen. If they see something, it helps remind them NOT to go in front of the machine.
4. Shut it off if anyone is retrieving balls.
5. If you are JUST stopping the feeder, make sure the feeders arm is straight up. If not, the vibration CAN cause balls to jump over arm and get pitched.
6. Protect the battery and inverter behind something, so they don't take direct hits.
7. Don't operate the inverter and battery from a completely sealed enclosure. (Either is usually rated for high temps, but they shouldn't be forced to)
8. Protect the machine operator from hits and balls coming back in.
WISH LIST
I would have liked the feeder on a slightly higher incline, but haven't got many stuck balls. Usually only when I use it to shoot pop-ups.
I would have liked the welds on the tripod a little lower, so that there was a space. With that space, I could put through a strap and, along with some anchors/stakes in the ground I could pull the machine to the ground tight. Not that the machine moves much at all, but this would allow me to really secure it. Although, with my luck, I'd hammer a stake into the in-ground sprinkler system. Oops. Never mind.
A better, updated Website for HEATER themselves. Once I did make contact, they took care of me. But I might have had the machine 3 years ago if their info was correct. Some of the old sites and emails are still out there in search engines, and those are the ones I used and they didn't respond to. Hopefully they will fix this. They actually were nice and helpful once I got through after the sale. That was during peak season too.
CONCLUSION
This Machine is great. It's a little work getting the battery, inverter, machine and ball feeder out to the mound, but I can connect it, set it up and aim it within minutes. It's not EXACTLY down-the-middle on each pitch, but I wouldn't want it to be. It's within the zone 99% of the time though, once you aim it. Especially if you use the same type balls.
I calculated I'd get about 5 hours use with my 101 AH battery, but I haven't run it that long all at once, and haven't run out yet. Each time it's recharged by morning too.
This thing would be perfect not only for any girls team, but also for men's or women's leagues that want to have some batting practice before or during the season out in a REAL field. Especially before the play-offs :)
Thanks Heater. Fix the little things and this will be perfect.
Thanks Amazon for selling it here, and giving me the credit to get it so my Grand kids can use it THIS year!
THANK YOU Sold In Milwaukee. You didn't just sell it to me, but went above ans beyond to help me solve some initial problems and turn this in to a wicked satisfying purchase.
| Brand | Heater |
|---|---|
| Material | Steel, Rubber |
| Color | Multi |
| Age Range (Description) | 8 years to |
| Item Weight | 40 Pounds |
| Sport | Baseball & Softball |
| Item Diameter | 12 Inches |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Construction Type | Steel |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 24.2 x 18.5 x 16.5 inches |
| Package Weight | 23.5 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 18 x 17 x 17 inches |
| Brand Name | Heater |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Heater Sports |
| Part Number | HTR6000SB |
| Size | One Size |
